Shake It Off
by Enthusiastic Fish
Summary: Oneshot written for the NFA Nepal Charity auction...three years ago. While waiting for a tow, Tim hears a new song. That's it. I hope you enjoy.


**A/N:** I'm not sure how this happened because I posted my other Nepal oneshots, but for some reason this one got missed. So I'm putting it up now. There is nothing serious here. It's very light and is based on Tim hearing a Taylor Swift song for the first time. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less (how much less could there be, really).

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS and I don't own Taylor Swift's music. I'm not making any money off this thing.

* * *

 **Shake It Off  
** by Enthusiastic Fish

"What do you mean I have to sit here and wait?" Tim asked. "You've got to be kidding!"

"Ellie's working with the NSA. Gibbs is in meetings all day. Abby and Ducky are up to their eyeballs in work from Lovitz," Tony said, gleefully.

"What about you?"

"Oh, I'm going to be very busy. Don't worry, McGee. It's simple. You just have to sit around and people will come to pick you up. I'll get the other stuff back to NCIS."

"Tony, you can't just leave me in the middle of nowhere!"

"Sure, I can! Watch!" Tony grinned.

"Tony!"

Tony closed the car door and drove away, leaving Tim sitting by the truck.

Alone.

He sighed. He decided that he was going to personally track down the person who had taken the spare tire out of the truck and kill them.

For now, however, he just had to sit around. After a few minutes, he pulled out his phone. Thank goodness there was still service out here. But he wasn't doing much.

Idly, he started searching for some music to pass the time. He logged into his Pandora account and started it going. After a few minutes, he heard a peppy song start up.

" _I stay out too late  
_ _Got nothing in my brain  
_ _That's what people say, mmm-mmm  
_ _That's what people say, mmm-mmm"_

It had a catchy beat, but he felt like he shouldn't be enjoying it. It was too...bubbly and peppy. He wasn't supposed to like this kind of music, was he?

" _'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play  
_ _And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate  
_ _Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake  
_ _I shake it off, I shake it off"_

When the song finished, Tim decided that he liked it and he found it and downloaded it onto his phone. Then, he started playing it again. And again. This silly little pop song had become a major ear worm and he couldn't get enough of it.

" _Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break  
_ _And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake  
_ _Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake  
_ _I shake it off, I shake it off"_

As he waited for the tow truck to get there, he got out of the truck and started the song over again.

He looked around. There was no one around. It would take hours for the tow truck to get here. He smiled to himself and started singing.

" _I'm dancing on my own  
_ _I make the moves up as I go  
_ _And that's what they don't know, mmm-mmm  
_ _That's what they don't know, mmm-mmm"_

Tim started the song over again and started dancing, complete with leg kicks and twisting.

"I shake it off, I shake it off!" he sang at the top of his lungs.

His phone started ringing and he reluctantly paused the song.

"Agent McGee," he said, covering up the fact that he'd just been singing like a teenager.

" _How's the waiting going, McGee?"_ Tony asked.

"Fine. When is the tow truck getting here?"

" _Should be soon."_

"What does that mean?"

" _Just be patient, McGoo. It'll be there."_

"Before nightfall?"

" _I didn't say that."_

Tim rolled his eyes and hung up.

"He's enjoying this," Tim said to himself. "Oh, well." He grinned to himself. "Shake it off, I shake it off!" He started grooving again and set the song going.

As the song started over yet again, he began dancing around the truck, pausing at each side view mirror to strike a pose. On the driver's side, he leaned back and pointed at his own reflection with both hands. On the passenger side, ran his fingers through his hair and then blew on them. Then, it was around again.

"I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off."

Then, he climbed into the back of the truck and started organizing the drawers. He couldn't stop tapping his foot to the song.

"'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play  
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate  
I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake  
I shake it off, I shake it off"

He started shaking the sides of the truck every time the chorus came around. It was questionable how much he was actually getting done, but he was enjoying himself, at least.

"Shake it off. I shake it off," Tim sang.

"Um, that's great, but do you need a tow?"

Tim stopped and turned around. There were two guys staring at him quizzically.

Taylor Swift was still rocking out on his phone. He cleared his throat and quickly turned off the song.

"Oh...hi. Yeah."

The three men stared at each other for a few silent, awkward seconds.

"Um...it's a...peppy song," Tim said. "Has a real...good beat."

"Yeah. It must."

Tim cleared his throat again and got out of the back of the truck.

He walked around and tried to sound professional while he was explaining what had happened to the tire and the rim. He just _knew_ that the two guys were suppressing their laughter at a grown man dancing and singing to Taylor Swift.

"Yeah, I don't think you want to try putting a new tire on that," one of them said.

"Okay."

"We'll give you a ride back and you can call."

"Thanks. Sounds great. Just let me grab my bag out of the cab."

"Okay."

Tim got his stuff and rode back to town with the two men who kept glancing at him.

"Sorry it took us so long to get out there," one said.

"It's okay."

"Yeah, you seemed to shake..."

"Don't say it," Tim said. "Please."

Now, they did grin. Tim tried not to blush. He was definitely embarrassed. When they got to the mechanic shop, they pointed him toward the waiting room. There was music playing, as was usual.

He sat down and pulled out his phone. "Tony, I need a ride back. They finally got the truck. I'm not taking a taxi."

" _Sure, okay. Took them a while. What did you do while you were waiting?"_

"Oh, nothing much," Tim said, knowing that his face was flaming red. "Just sat around, did some organizing of the drawers."

" _Did you let it all hang down?"_

"Let's just say that I filled my time."

" _I'll be there in about half an hour."_

"You'd better be."

Tim hung up and settled down to wait. A new song started.

It was "Shake It Off".

Tim closed his eyes for a moment as he heard the two men start to laugh in the back of the shop. Then, he gave up. What was the point?

As he sat alone in the waiting room, he started to sing...very softly.

"Shake it off. I shake it off."

FINIS!


End file.
